Beat the Block [HEAVY LIFT PHOTOS]

Yesterday, an 8,000-ton section of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of the Queen Elizabeth class of supercarriers, began the 600 mile voyage around Scotland from BAE systems’ Govan yard located on the south bank of the Clyde River to the naval dockyard, Rosyth, located in Firth of Forth, Scotland.

Lower Block 03, as the section is now called, is the latest of the 65,000-ton warship to be built throughout a number of UK shipyards and transported to the Forth for completion.

Taking more than two years to build, Lower Block 03 is more than 65ft high, 196ft long and 131ft wide. The section is being towed by the tug, Eraclea, aboard the carrier barge AMT Trader. The project is also being assisted by a number of SVITZER tugs.

Meanwhile, some 50 cyclists are attempting to “beat the block” to the dockyard in Rosyth. The bikers left BAE Systems’ yard in Govan at approximately the same time the as Lower Block 03 and attempting to cover 430 miles trip through Scotland and beat the block to the Forth. The cyclist’s, are racing the section to raise money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, and hope to complete the trip in under five days.

Photo courtesy Royal Navy

Photo courtesy Royal Navy

An artist’s rendition of the Queen Elizabeth supercarrier. Via wikipedia